Mogami River Boat Ride (Basholine)
An hour-long boat ride 12 km down the Mogami, through a prefectural natural park.
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Mogami River Boat Ride (Basholine)
SaveAn hour-long boat ride 12 km down the Mogami, through a prefectural natural park.
The boatman sings while he steers, and the boat is roofed in rain and enclosed and heated all winter.
MoreWhat kind of place
The Basholine boats run one route down the Mogami gorge, through a prefectural natural park — in Japan that means a protected stretch of scenery rather than backcountry — and they go out every day of the year.
The trip covers 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in about an hour, with the boatman singing the river's boat song as he steers, on a river the company bills as one of Japan's three fastest-flowing. You can ask for a particular boatman by name if you have one in mind.
Sources and evidence (7)
- In the rain a vinyl roof goes over the boat, so you ride without getting wet.source
- In summer the boat gets reed screens for shade and in winter it becomes a fully enclosed covered boat, which is what makes sitting for an hour bearable in high summer and deep winter alike.source
- From December 1 through the end of March the boats are heated and run as snow-viewing boats, while the kotatsu boat, the one with the heated table to tuck your legs under, exists only as a separately chartered special boat.source
- There is a soba restaurant, Bashoan, on the grounds of Furukuchi port where you board, and a shop with light meals, Terminal Kitchen Kusanagi, at Kusanagi port where you land, so you can eat at either end.source
- Pets can board only inside a carrier, so without one they cannot come along.source
- The hour on the water comes with the boatman singing, and the company bills the trip on three counts: the Yamagata prefectural natural park, one of Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers, and one of the world's three great boat songs.source
- You can request a particular boatman, so speak up if you have one in mind.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The part to think through first is the hour on the boat: once it pushes off, there is nowhere to get off until the far end. Preschoolers ride free, elementary-school children pay 1,500 yen and adults 3,000 one way.
From the ticket desk it is about 330 feet and then 40 to 50 steps down to the dock, so count on carrying anyone who can't manage stairs.
You land at a different pier from the one you left, so ask about the return bus at the ticket window before you board: it runs only when the boats come in, and it is 500 yen for an adult and about 15 minutes back to the pier you started from.
In rain a vinyl roof goes over the boat, in summer reed screens keep the sun off, and all winter it is closed in and heated, so the hour on the water works in high summer and midwinter alike.
Sources and evidence (5)
- Sights are all on the right. Lunchbox orders sat front-right, the rest back-left. The boatman sings, too.source
- You may bring food aboard. Down the steps, buoyancy aid behind your back, then off; one-way riders bus back in 15 min.source
- Yamagata's tourism site rode the winter boat: windows all round, warm inside, snow on the river. Runs 1 Dec to 31 Mar.source
- Lists both operators: Basho Line 3,000 yen adult, 1,500 child, infants free, 12 km one way, bus back to Furuguchi.source
- Rode at seven-tenths color: 12 km in 50 min, the 124 m Shiraito falls, Sennindo, and soba at the old boat station.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1In rain a vinyl roof goes over the boat, in summer there are sunshade blinds, and from December 1 to the end of March the whole boat is enclosed and heated — so an hour of sitting still works in the height of summer and the depth of winter alike. For that hour the boatman sings boat songs while taking you 12 km downriver. Preschool children ride free.It is about 100 m on foot from the desk to the jetty, and 40 to 50 steps down to it — the number changes with the water level. Nothing is written about what to do with a stroller, so ask at the window before boarding. Wheelchairs can board: there is a ramp and staff to help, with two chairs to borrow at the boarding pier and one at the landing pier. The downriver boat leaves Furukuchi and lands 12 km away at Kusanagi, so it does not bring you back to the pier where you parked. The bus back is 500 yen for adults and 250 for primary schoolers, paid on board, and it runs irregularly, timed to the scheduled boats — check its times at the window before you board. Luggage is only held at the window if you are coming back to the boarding pier. The desk closes 10 minutes before departure, and 20 minutes before for people who booked.
- Ages 2-3Booked in advance, lunch is eaten on the boat: bento boxes run from an 1,800-yen bamboo basket to a 4,500-yen Yamagata beef steak box, and every one comes with a canned tea. Furukuchi, where you board, has the soba shop Bashoan on site, and Kusanagi, where you land, has a shop and the light-meal Terminal Kitchen Kusanagi — so there is food at the pier both before and after.Once you are on, there is no getting off until the 12 km are done: the floating convenience store is not operating and the boat passes Furusato Mura without stopping. The onboard bento must be booked, and the number differs by pier — Furukuchi is 0233-72-2001, Kawa-no-Eki Mogamikyo Kusanagi is 0234-57-2111. Weather, water level and other reasons can cancel a sailing or turn the one-way 12 km into a round-trip course, so check the official X account (x.com/mogamigawa_fune) before leaving the house and phone on the day as well. Scheduled boats take a single passenger and need no booking, but booking online saves 100 yen per adult and 50 per child, and closes three days before.
- Ages 4-6At 4 to 6 a child is still preschool age, so the ride is free — adult fares start at junior high and the child fare starts at primary school. For an hour the boatman steers and sings, taking you 12 km down one of Japan's three great rapids. You may request a particular boatman; just say so.The 40 to 50 steps down to the jetty are walked on their own legs — the count changes with the water level — after about 100 m from the desk. Scheduled boats leave on time and missing one means waiting for the next, so finish check-in 20 minutes before departure if you booked, 10 if you did not. There are three ways back: the local bus (500 yen adult, 250 primary school, paid on board), paying to have your car driven round (3,000 yen for an ordinary car, reservation only, 100% charge for same-day cancellation), or a return boat — but return boats are limited in number, first come first served, and the last sailing at 15:00 has none. The soba-making workshop, 2,200 yen a person, is not currently being taken.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayIn rain a vinyl roof goes over the boat, so you stay dry for the roughly one-hour ride down the river. The outdoor part is getting there: about 100 meters on foot from the reception desk, then 40 to 50 steps down to the boarding pier, and the number of steps changes with the water level.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed50 min–1 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (7)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Sights are all on the right. Lunchbox orders sat front-right, the rest back-left. The boatman sings, too.
Yamagata and Akita, April 2024, part 4: the Mogami cruise (Basho Line)
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
You may bring food aboard. Down the steps, buoyancy aid behind your back, then off; one-way riders bus back in 15 min.
A Yamagata activity: riding the Mogami River boat at Tozawa village
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Yamagata's tourism site rode the winter boat: windows all round, warm inside, snow on the river. Runs 1 Dec to 31 Mar.
Feature: riding the heated winter boat on the Mogami Gorge Basho Line
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Lists both operators: Basho Line 3,000 yen adult, 1,500 child, infants free, 12 km one way, bus back to Furuguchi.
Mogami River boat trips | Tozawa Village tourism site
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Rode at seven-tenths color: 12 km in 50 min, the 124 m Shiraito falls, Sennindo, and soba at the old boat station.
Mogami River boat trip: autumn color, and a boatman who tells and sings the history
Mogami River Boat Ride (Basholine) · Links & reads ▾
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SaveOfficial site
Where it is
86-1 Furukuchi, Tozawa-mura, Mogami-gun, Yamagata 999-6401source2
Before you go
- The bus back runs on no fixed timetable and leaves to meet the scheduled boats as they arrive, so check its times at the ticket window before you get on the boat.source
- There are round-trip boats that bring you back by water, but only a small number of places on a first-come basis, and the last departure at 3:00 p.m. has no round trip at all.source
- Weather, water level or other reasons can cancel a sailing or switch it to a loop course instead of the 12-kilometer one-way run, and the company asks you to call on the day.source
- Groups of 15 or more, anything involving meals, and the hands-on programs all have to be booked in advance.source
- The soba-making workshop (2,200 yen per person, minimum two people, booked three days ahead) is not currently being offered.source
More notes (15)
- If you drove, you can have your car brought around to the landing for 3,000 yen for a regular car or 3,500 yen for a large one, by reservation only, with same-day cancellations charged in full.source
- The discount table on the booking page lists the winter fares as 3,200 and 1,600 yen, which confirms that a winter increase is in effect.source
- Booking online takes 100 yen off the adult fare and 50 yen off the child fare, with a cutoff three days ahead.source
- Check-in for boarding closes 10 minutes before departure, so get the paperwork done before then.source
- If you have a reservation, check in at least 20 minutes before departure, since the scheduled boats leave on time and missing one puts you on the next.source
- The scheduled boats will take a single passenger and are set up so you can board without a reservation.source
- The online booking form closes three days before the sailing date, and changes and cancellations are taken only by phone.source
- The bento boxes eaten on board must be ordered in advance and run from a 1,800 yen bamboo basket bento to a 4,500 yen Yamagata wagyu steak bento, each with a canned tea.source
- Meal reservations go to different numbers depending on the pier: Furukuchi port is 0233-72-2001 and the Mogamikyo Kusanagi river station is 0234-57-2111.source
- No taxis wait at the pier, so one has to be booked ahead (Tozawa Kanko Taxi 0233-72-2711 or Shinjo Taxi 0233-22-3955).source
- The boats are operated by Mogamikyo Basholine Kanko, which says it is the only company running a scheduled passenger service in the Mogami gorge.source
- The Motoai route is suspended, and although its fare table and description still run on the same page, you cannot ride it at the moment.source
- The floating convenience store is closed and the boats pass Furusato Village without stopping, so you cannot get off partway and pick up a later boat.source
- In winter the ramp is unusable because of snow, so wheelchairs cannot board then.source
- Staff will communicate in writing, assistance dogs are admitted, and a pick-up service is available by reservation.source
Basics
- Fee：Pre-school children ride free. Adult means junior-high age and up, child means elementary school. One way is 3,000 yen for an adult and 1,500 for a child, all tax included. From 1 December to 31 March a notice raises this to 3,200 and 1,600, though the fare table still shows the lower figures, so budget for the winter price if you go then. Booking online takes 100 yen off an adult and 50 off a child. A round trip by boat is 4,720 and 2,360; groups of 15 or more pay 2,700 and 1,350. Holders of a first-class physical or intellectual disability certificate, or a grade-1 mental disability certificate, get 50 percent off for themselves and one carer. Getting back to the departure pier costs extra: the bus is 500 yen for an adult and 250 for an elementary-school child, or 3,000 yen to have a car driven round.source234
- Hours：The regular route runs 365 days a year. Opening hours for the pier are not published: departure times are set by a sailing calendar rather than a fixed daily timetable, and the last boat is at 15:00 - there is no return boat on that one. Reception closes 10 minutes before departure. Sailings can be canceled, or replaced by a circular course, because of weather or the water level, so check by phone on the day (the phone line takes calls 8:20-17:10 from April to November and 9:00-16:30 from December to March).source23
- Time to allow：50 min–1 hsource23
- Booking：The scheduled boats take walk-ups and will carry a single passenger, so a family does not have to book. Booking is required for groups of 15 or more, for anything involving food, for experience products, for the private charters and for a large-vehicle transfer. The web form closes three days before the sailing date and gives 100 yen off an adult and 50 yen off a child; changes and cancellations are taken by phone only. Reception closes 10 minutes before departure, and if you have booked you are asked to check in about 20 minutes before - the scheduled boats leave on time and latecomers go on the next one. Sailings can be canceled or turned into a round trip by weather or water level, so ring 0233-72-2001 on the day.source234Official site ↗
Basics in detail (16)
Getting there
- The downstream boat leaves Furukuchi port at the old Tozawa domain boat checkpoint and runs 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to Kusanagi port at the Mogamikyo Kusanagi river station, so it never returns to the pier where you left the car and you need a way back worked out before you board.source
- There are 40 to 50 steps down to the boarding pier, and the exact number changes with the water level.source
- It is about a 100-meter (330-foot) walk from the ticket desk to the pier.source
- It is a 7- to 8-minute walk from Furukuchi Station to the boarding pier.source
- There is a large parking lot and it is free.source
Time to allow
Fees
- The bus back costs 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for elementary students, paid on board.source
- Preschoolers ride free, with adult meaning junior high age and up, and child meaning elementary students.source
- The one-way fare is 3,000 yen for adults and 1,500 yen for children, tax included.source
- The round trip that returns by boat is 4,720 yen for adults and 2,360 yen for children, tax included.source
- Groups of 15 or more pay 2,700 yen for adults and 1,350 yen for children, tax included.source
- People with a Class 1 physical or intellectual disability get 50 percent off for themselves and one carer (or two interpreters or assistants), as do people with a Class 1 psychiatric disability and one carer, and the disability certificate app is accepted as proof.source
Hours and closures
- The regular route runs every day of the year.source
- The day's weather and operating status are posted on the official X account (x.com/mogamigawa_fune), worth a look before you leave the house.source
- The head office and Furukuchi port are at 86-1 Furukuchi, Tozawa Village, Mogami District, Yamagata, phone 0233-72-2001, and phone inquiries are taken 8:20 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. from April through November and 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from December through March, which is not the same as the sailing hours.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (8)
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Steps & slope caution, Stroller access notes
- yamagatakanko.com: Stroller friendly, Diaper changing table, Family restroom
- yamagatakanko.com: Stroller friendly, Diaper changing table
- yamagata-bftc.jp: Family restroom
- Official: Stroller access notes
Boats leave Furuguchi and land 12 kilometers downstream at Kusanagi, an hour on one of Japan's three fastest rivers. The boatman sings the river song, and you can ask for a particular boatman. Rain brings a vinyl roof, summer sun blinds, and from December to the end of March the boat is closed in and heated. Reaching the landing stage means about 100 meters and 40 to 50 steps. Because you land at a different pier, ask at the window for the return bus time before you board.
| Stroller friendly | Conditional | You can push a stroller as far as the building with the ticket desk. Its entrance is a 168 cm sliding door with a single 3 cm step. The ramp beside the steps down to the landing stage is steep, but you can drive partway down. | Web-checked | checked Sep ’26 | yamagatakanko.comyamagatakanko.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper changing table | Yes | The baby changing seat is inside the multipurpose restroom at the departure pier. Nothing states whether there is one at Kusanagi, where you land. | Web-checked | checked Sep ’26 | yamagatakanko.comyamagatakanko.com |
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Yes | One inside the building at Furukuchi port, where you board. No step, grab bars on both sides, an emergency button, and a baby chair to sit a child in. | Web-checked | checked Sep ’26 | yamagatakanko.comyamagata-bftc.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | You are on the river, but the boat is roofed: a vinyl roof in rain, sun blinds in summer, and fully enclosed with heating from 1 December to 31 March. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | blf.co.jp |
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | OK to bring your own | You may eat and drink on board and bring your own. Buy snacks and drinks at the souvenir shop in the boat checkpoint before you board. | Web-checked | checked Sep ’26 | andtrip.jp |
| Steps & slope caution | Many steps | From the reception it is about 100 meters on foot to the landing stage, down 40 to 50 steps - the number changes with the water level. A wheelchair can board: there is a ramp and staff help, and wheelchairs can be borrowed (two at the boarding pier, one at the landing pier). Nothing is stated about taking a stroller down or where to leave one. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | blf.co.jp |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | There are baby-size life vests, and children ride from newborn age. The boat moves slowly, but at three sets of rapids the hull rocks from side to side. | Web-checked | checked Sep ’26 | kankoh.vill.tozawa.yamagata.jpandtrip.jp |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | The boat lands at a different pier from the one it leaves, so plan the way back before you board: a bus from Kusanagi (about 15 minutes' wait after landing, then about 15 minutes, 500 yen adult and 250 child), a car transfer at 3,000 yen booked in advance, or a limited number of return-boat places. There is a large free parking lot at the departure pier, and Furuguchi station is 7 to 8 minutes on foot. Luggage is held at the window only if you are coming back to the departure pier. Getting to the boat means about 100 meters and 40 to 50 steps. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | blf.co.jpblf.co.jp |
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